Rival Watch

[Hendo]

People don't want politics in football. It's nothing to do with being racist.

If you read around (which I suggest you do), aside from BBC quoting the usual suspects, a lot of the public feel the same. Even Gary Rowett who I see the BBC didn't quote for some reason ( ) says it is becoming an empty gesture. Not everyone who disagrees with BLM as an organisation is racist but sadly you can't understand this point so I won't waste any more of my time.

I would suggest as the fans are back in the stadium it is as far from being an ‘empty gesture’ as you can get. Kids attend the match and will ask ‘daddy why are they all on one knee?’
‘Well son it because black people have been treated like shit since the beginning of time and this is a way of highlighting to the world that it needs to stop’

Seems like a perfect opportunity to educate the next generation that it’s not ok.

And anyway who are we as fans to boo players for doing something that they believe in. Ffs it’s a few seconds and doesn’t hurt anyone. It needs to continue until change happens. Nothing has changed.

Agree Wooders.

Lady Hendo commented on it yesterday and put it pretty well “oh I’m sorry, has racism finished now then?” I then had to explain some history about Millwall to her.

[Mid Sussex Royal]

Agree with the recent posts; Millwall is one of my nearer games straight in from the south in to London Bridge so I tend to go most seasons and I hear racist comments/chants every season there sadly. Remember that one to the Everton fans in the cup?

[Hendo]

I think I'm right in saying the booing hasn’t happened anywhere else in the country thus far? Only Millwall. Millwall with their vast history of racist chanting and racist views and race related violence.

Cnuts.

Calum harriott tweeted to say Colchester fans did the same

He's a good egg Callum Harriott, still has the Reading site as a link in his Twitter bio.

Scored a pretty decent goal yesterday as well. Think he could’ve done a job for us, had it not been for injuries.

[genome]

Think it might just be the most Millwall thing ever.

And before they say "we aren't that sort of club" don't forget this is their core support in today, their most loyal 2000 fans. It wasn't a minority of the supporters who booed it sounded like most of them. They are a racist, homophobic group of supporters who deserve nothing but contempt.

Hugely ironic that on the forum I looked at the general view was that ‘uneducated’ people would consider the booing as racist, whereas it was a complaint about the politicisation of the game....

I think I'm right in saying the booing hasn’t happened anywhere else in the country thus far? Only Millwall. Millwall with their vast history of racist chanting and racist views and race related violence.

Cnuts.

Even Chelsea fans applauded the knee taking. Which says a lot.

[exileinleeds]

People don't want politics in football. It's nothing to do with being racist.

If you read around (which I suggest you do), aside from BBC quoting the usual suspects, a lot of the public feel the same. Even Gary Rowett who I see the BBC didn't quote for some reason ( ) says it is becoming an empty gesture. Not everyone who disagrees with BLM as an organisation is racist but sadly you can't understand this point so I won't waste any more of my time.

No, ‘a lot’ of of the public don’t feel the same. A minority of the population make a lot of noise about how much they hate it and how much public support they have. If ‘a lot’ of the public feel the same, why didn’t it happen at EVERY ground with fans in yesterday afternoon/last night?
I don’t agree with the way Royal British Legion Poppies have become mandatory for all players/teams around 11th November...but I don’t boooooooo the minutes silence.
I don’t agree with the way James McClean has been repeatedly targeted, in grounds and on Twitter, over the issue. However, I suspect I’m about to be told that is the wrong opinion to have on that particular subject and ‘a lot’ of the public disagree with me.

THIS^^^^

I am about as much of a anti-monarchist as they come, but I have never felt the need to chat/boo through the national anthem.

[From Despair To Where?]

I don't think MaClean has done himself any favours with some of the things he has said but he has spoken quite honestly about why he feels he cannot wear the poppy and afaik, he has never publicly harangued or abused anyone else for wearing it.

Its a few footballers respectfully expressing an opinion about something they feel strongly about and may have been personally affected by. I really don't see the issue.

[genome]

People don't want politics in football. It's nothing to do with being racist.

If you read around (which I suggest you do), aside from BBC quoting the usual suspects, a lot of the public feel the same. Even Gary Rowett who I see the BBC didn't quote for some reason ( ) says it is becoming an empty gesture. Not everyone who disagrees with BLM as an organisation is racist but sadly you can't understand this point so I won't waste any more of my time.

I have a question, just interested to see...

Do you think wearing a poppy is political?

[NewCorkSeth]

People don't want politics in football. It's nothing to do with being racist.

If you read around (which I suggest you do), aside from BBC quoting the usual suspects, a lot of the public feel the same. Even Gary Rowett who I see the BBC didn't quote for some reason ( ) says it is becoming an empty gesture. Not everyone who disagrees with BLM as an organisation is racist but sadly you can't understand this point so I won't waste any more of my time.

I have a question, just interested to see...

Do you think wearing a poppy is political?

Oh god dont open that kettle of fish on the TB. Move that to AE. Let them deal with some window licking for a while.

[Snowflake Royal]

BLM and taking the knee isn't politics. It's basic racial equality. Unless of course you're against that, in which case it is a political issue, but you don't really have any overt representation in Parliament so it's all bit one sided, because all the represented parties back that (publically anyway).

It's clearly not something the majority have an issue with, because the vast majority of players join in. The vast majority of fans respect it, even support it, and the vast majority interested or involved in football have condemned the Millwall and Colchester fans. Millwall fans that have a reputation of being amongst the least educated, most knuckledragging, violent and racist in the country.

So if you find yourself backing booing, resistance or opposition to a symbol of racial equality, I'm afraid regardless of what your personal views on racial equality are (at best wouldn't that be nice but I'm going to do nothing to support it and actually spend time undermining it instead), then you're supporting racism, racial inequality and you're part of the problem. So realise that and change, or be honest and own it. Because you might as well go the whole hog and be a racist.

[genome]

I've spoken to a couple of blokes who trot out the "it's just a political marxist movement" line and they couldn't explain to me what Marxism actually was when I asked them

[NewCorkSeth]

I like your Xmas avi Genome. Its cute x

[Kitsondinho]

People don't want politics in football. It's nothing to do with being racist.

If you read around (which I suggest you do), aside from BBC quoting the usual suspects, a lot of the public feel the same. Even Gary Rowett who I see the BBC didn't quote for some reason ( ) says it is becoming an empty gesture. Not everyone who disagrees with BLM as an organisation is racist but sadly you can't understand this point so I won't waste any more of my time.

No, ‘a lot’ of of the public don’t feel the same. A minority of the population make a lot of noise about how much they hate it and how much public support they have. If ‘a lot’ of the public feel the same, why didn’t it happen at EVERY ground with fans in yesterday afternoon/last night?
I don’t agree with the way Royal British Legion Poppies have become mandatory for all players/teams around 11th November...but I don’t boooooooo the minutes silence.
I don’t agree with the way James McClean has been repeatedly targeted, in grounds and on Twitter, over the issue. However, I suspect I’m about to be told that is the wrong opinion to have on that particular subject and ‘a lot’ of the public disagree with me.

THIS^^^^

I am about as much of a anti-monarchist as they come, but I have never felt the need to chat/boo through the national anthem.

Exactly.

[Kitsondinho]

I don't think MaClean has done himself any favours with some of the things he has said but he has spoken quite honestly about why he feels he cannot wear the poppy and afaik, he has never publicly harangued or abused anyone else for wearing it.

Its a few footballers respectfully expressing an opinion about something they feel strongly about and may have been personally affected by. I really don't see the issue.

This! I had no problem with the QPR players not taking the knee, as it was a group decision and the statement from Les Ferdinand explained perfectly why they had made that decision. If any player wishes to take the knee, they should be able to without fear of being booed by their own fans. If they don’t want to, then that is ok. Equally, if they decide not to wear a poppy, that is fine. Most will want to wear one, which is fine.

[The Royal Forester]

I don't think MaClean has done himself any favours with some of the things he has said but he has spoken quite honestly about why he feels he cannot wear the poppy and afaik, he has never publicly harangued or abused anyone else for wearing it.

Its a few footballers respectfully expressing an opinion about something they feel strongly about and may have been personally affected by. I really don't see the issue.

This! I had no problem with the QPR players not taking the knee, as it was a group decision and the statement from Les Ferdinand explained perfectly why they had made that decision. If any player wishes to take the knee, they should be able to without fear of being booed by their own fans. If they don’t want to, then that is ok. Equally, if they decide not to wear a poppy, that is fine. Most will want to wear one, which is fine.

Are there players who take a knee, just to avoid abuse or being labelled as racist? It may be acceptable when a whole team refuses to do so and explains their reason(s), Would one or two players not doing so cause problems not only within a team, but with fans and others as well?

[Sutekh]

I don't think MaClean has done himself any favours with some of the things he has said but he has spoken quite honestly about why he feels he cannot wear the poppy and afaik, he has never publicly harangued or abused anyone else for wearing it.

Its a few footballers respectfully expressing an opinion about something they feel strongly about and may have been personally affected by. I really don't see the issue.

This! I had no problem with the QPR players not taking the knee, as it was a group decision and the statement from Les Ferdinand explained perfectly why they had made that decision. If any player wishes to take the knee, they should be able to without fear of being booed by their own fans. If they don’t want to, then that is ok. Equally, if they decide not to wear a poppy, that is fine. Most will want to wear one, which is fine.

Are there players who take a knee, just to avoid abuse or being labelled as racist? It may be acceptable when a whole team refuses to do so and explains their reason(s), Would one or two players not doing so cause problems not only within a team, but with fans and others as well?

This is where I agree with Les Ferdinand, what matters is action not a weekly PR exercise which soon loses any real meaning. But if clubs and players want to carry on to do it, then why would it be a problem to anyone. Presume next weekend’s game might therefore be “kneeless” though.

[From Despair To Where?]

They all have social nedia accounts. Quite easy for them to make a statement on why they dont want to kneel if they feel strongly enough.

I guess as it becomes more populist, it loses its impact but I don't see anyone calling Les Ferdinand racist for calmly explaining his reasons.

[Nameless]

I don't think MaClean has done himself any favours with some of the things he has said but he has spoken quite honestly about why he feels he cannot wear the poppy and afaik, he has never publicly harangued or abused anyone else for wearing it.

Its a few footballers respectfully expressing an opinion about something they feel strongly about and may have been personally affected by. I really don't see the issue.

This! I had no problem with the QPR players not taking the knee, as it was a group decision and the statement from Les Ferdinand explained perfectly why they had made that decision. If any player wishes to take the knee, they should be able to without fear of being booed by their own fans. If they don’t want to, then that is ok. Equally, if they decide not to wear a poppy, that is fine. Most will want to wear one, which is fine.

Are there players who take a knee, just to avoid abuse or being labelled as racist? It may be acceptable when a whole team refuses to do so and explains their reason(s), Would one or two players not doing so cause problems not only within a team, but with fans and others as well?

Rugby seem to be able to mix players taking the knee or not without it causing problems.
You would think situations where a player either felt obliged to take part or actively took an opposing stance would really just reflect an existing dressing room problem.

[NewCorkSeth]

Birmingham with the inexplicable decision to cut their academy an change to a b team system. What are they thinking..

[Hendo]

Birmingham with the inexplicable decision to cut their academy an change to a b team system. What are they thinking..

I guess after Jude Bellingham, they can't conceive of producing any further talent... they'd run out of shirt numbers pretty quickly.

[NewCorkSeth]

Birmingham with the inexplicable decision to cut their academy an change to a b team system. What are they thinking..

I guess after Jude Bellingham, they can't conceive of producing any further talent... they'd run out of shirt numbers pretty quickly.